March 24, 2019 Bible Passage: Matthew 8:1 4; 9:18 26; Mark 5:21 43 (Healing of the Leper, Jairus s Daughter, Sick Woman) God Is Help REMEMBER VERSE Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 SCHEDULE CONNECT GATHER RESPOND BLESS 1
Leader Prep Each week you ll find a list of resources along with encouraging articles that help you prepare your heart to present the lesson. Further Resources A Small Group Enhancement is available for this lesson. Download the following resources to help you plan and lead TruStory lessons: Customizable copy of Lesson 4 2016 17 Scope and Sequence TruStory How It Works document HomeFront Weekly: Lesson 4 is provided for this lesson. The weekly for the next lesson to be sent home for preteaching by parents is found in BLESS. If you have questions about Tru curriculum or are looking for great training, blogs, and other support resources, visit truministry.com. Inspire Shares personal stories from fellow ministry leaders about how God has worked in their lives I ve seen amazing miracles of healing and faith. I know someone who has been healed of lymphoma. I know other people who have been healed of injuries. I ve watched God transform the hearts of my father, my friends, and myself. God has answered my prayers and the prayers of people around me. However, I ve cried out to God for certain things, and it s felt like He never heard me. After a while I felt discouraged and stopped crying out for these needs to be fulfilled. I thought, What s the point? He s not responding, so I might as well stop asking. But many times in my life, I ve realized that this experience, this moment, this feeling of freedom or peace is exactly what I d prayed for. I realized that even when I stopped begging God to free me of an emotional plague or heal my friend s mom of cancer, God was still working on His response to that prayer. He isn t hindered by time. He has all the patience in the world. I m the one who became impatient and lost sight of the fact that He s in control and responds in His own timing. God is big and powerful as well as attentive and loving. Though He could choose to ignore us, He hears our cries. Though He could choose to leave us to suffer alone, He responds to us in our need. He is our help. Tori Funkhouser ROCKHARBOR Church Equip Offers perspective and context to the lesson's Bible passage A simple touch from Jesus but it was so much more. These three accounts in Scripture describe a touch between Jesus and someone who needed Him. A man with leprosy called out to Jesus for help, and Jesus did the unthinkable. Jesus didn t just heal the 2
man; Jesus touched him. We don t know how long this man had been suffering from leprosy, a contagious skin disease, but it could have been years since he d felt the warmth of human touch. Lepers were forced to walk on the other side of the street. One simple act of kindness healed this man s heart as well as his body. Then, a woman who had been suffering with a malady for 12 long years stepped way outside of her comfort zone to ask for help from Jesus. Because her illness involved an issue of blood, she was perpetually unclean and not allowed to enter the temple to worship. And anyone she touched would be unclean for a time as well. So she gathered up her courage and reached out for the hem of the Rabbi s robe for this was where a rabbi s authority was displayed. Just like a modern-day soldier exhibits his rank and honors on his uniform, rabbis and other leaders sewed their symbols of authority into the hems of their robes. So this woman with an issue of blood touched the symbol of authority on Jesus robe, and even though she knew she would be despised and cast out for making this Rabbi unclean, she trusted in God and Jesus healed her. Finally, the touch of Jesus brought a young child back to life and returned hope to a family previously lost in despair. A touch from Jesus brings life. When we call out to God, He responds. Support Provides reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God's Word In this lesson, Jesus commends a woman for her faith to crawl through the crowd to touch Him. Jesus also encourages faith from Jairus when the man hears from his friends that his daughter has died. Though God is faithful, faith isn t an automatic formula for getting what we want or even what we think we need. Though we might have to wait patiently, God always turns to us and hears our cries. He might not respond in the way we would have imagined, but He hears, and He is help. Is there a place in your life where you need God to hear your cry? Have you given up hope that He will hear you in this area? Take hope. God is listening, and He will help in His timing. Pray the children would know that God will hear them and respond to them too. God loves them and cares about them because they are His children. Though they might need to be patient, they can trust that God will hear and respond. CONNECT// 10 min. Children develop relationships with their leaders and one another through simple activities and conversation starters. Heal-the-Leper Tag Students will play a tag game where they have to be touched by the "healer" to continue participating. None CONNECT QUESTION: Welcome and greet students. Open your time by asking this question: What item in 3
your home comforts you when you re sick? (examples: a soft teddy bear, a fleece blanket, a cozy sweatshirt, etc.) We use our sense of touch every day. It allows us to use forks and spoons, keeps us from grabbing hot things, and even helps us feel safe and warm when we get a hug from someone who loves us. Today we re going to test our sense of touch. Invite your children to play a game of Heal-the-Leper Tag. To play, designate one student to be the leper, another to be the healer, and the rest of the kids to be the crowd. The crowd will walk briskly around the room while the leper tries to touch them. When the leper touches a student, she must fall to her hands and knees and crawl around until she s touched by the healer. When the healer touches a leper on the shoulder, the healer will then help the leper get up. Only the original leper can try to touch other kids, but he also can t be healed. In addition, the healer cannot get leprosy. Continue playing for a designated amount of time or until everyone has had leprosy. If time allows, designate two new kids to be the leper and the healer. GATHER// 30 min. Children experience and learn more about God through memorizing Scripture, storytelling from The Big God Story, prayer, and discussion. Remember Verse Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. The Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Game: Growing a Verse None Say the Remember Verse together several times. Share that the students will grow as they practice saying the verse. Begin by having everyone crouch down. Say a phrase from the verse, and have the class repeat it as they rise up a tiny bit. Say the next phrase, and have the class rise up a little higher. Repeat until the whole verse has been said and the kids are reaching up high. Repeat the activity a few more times until the verse is familiar to the kids. Storytelling Bible Passage: Matthew 8:1 4; 9:18 26; Mark 5:21 43 Storytelling Technique: Acting Out the Narrative God Is Help 4
Optional: Investigate Questions (see Resources) Bibles Optional: Bible-times costumes PREPARE AHEAD Ask for volunteers to act out today s portion of The Big God Story. You ll need six volunteers to play the following roles: Jesus, the leper, Jairus, Jairus s daughter, Jairus s servant, and the sick woman. Meet with them before the Storytelling time and go over their roles and the actions they ll be doing. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Do you remember whom Jesus healed in last week s portion of The Big God Story? Pause for answers. Yes, it was a man who was paralyzed. How did the paralyzed man get to Jesus? Pause for answers. That s right! His friends carried him to the house where Jesus was teaching and lowered him into the house through the roof. This man was one of many people who wanted to see Jesus. They had faith that He could heal them and change their lives. Invite the student playing Jesus to come to the front of the room. Another time, Jesus came down a mountain, and a large crowd started following Him. There was a man with a terrible skin disease called leprosy. Invite students to turn to Matthew 8:2 and follow along as you read the verse aloud. This leper stepped out in faith and, in front of the large crowd of people following Jesus, asked Jesus to heal him. Have the student playing the leper kneel before Jesus. Because the leper called to Jesus to heal him, Jesus responded. And Jesus could have waved His hands and healed the leper, but instead Jesus reached out, touched the man, and healed him. Have Jesus touch the leper and tell the leper to stand. This may have come as a surprise to the man because people were not usually touched when they had leprosy for fear that others may catch their disease. Imagine what it must have been like for this leper to be healed by the touch of Jesus! Later a man named Jairus (have child playing Jairus come forward and wave to everyone), a leader in the synagogue, came to Jesus because his 12-year-old daughter was dying. Jairus begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Have Jairus kneel before Jesus and pretend to ask Jesus to heal his daughter. Jesus agreed to go with Jairus to his home. Have Jesus begin walking toward all of the other kids while the sick woman stands off to the side. Invite kids to turn to Mark 5:24 and follow along in this chapter. As Jesus headed toward Jairus s house, a large crowd followed and pressed around him (v. 24). Encourage the rest of the kids to crowd around Jesus and get as close to Him as they can. In the crowd, there was a woman who had been sick for 12 years. She had gone to doctors, but the doctors hadn t helped her, and she d only gotten worse and worse. The woman had spent all of her money trying to get better, and when she heard that Jesus was coming, she thought to herself, If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed (v. 28). The woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His clothes. Have the student playing the sick woman try to make her way through the crowd to touch the edge of Jesus clothes. As soon as she touched His clothes, she was healed! Jesus knew that power had gone out from him (v. 30). He stopped and asked who had touched Him. Have Jesus look around curiously. The woman realized that Jesus was looking for her, so she stepped out of the crowd, knelt before Jesus, and told Him what she had done. Have the woman kneel before 5
Jesus, pretending to explain her actions. This woman called out to Jesus for healing, and He helped her. He healed her sickness and told her she was free from the pain and suffering that went along with being sick. The woman stepped out, and Jesus responded to her call and transformed her life. Have Jesus reach down and help the woman to her feet. While Jesus was still speaking with this woman, servants came from the house of Jairus and told him that his daughter had died, so there was no reason for Jesus to go to his home. Have the servant enter, looking exceptionally sad, and talk with Jairus. Jesus ignored what they said and continued to the home of Jairus. There He found a lot of people crying because the girl had died. Have the kids in the crowd now be mourners as they look sad and pretend to cry. Have Jairus s daughter lie on the ground. But Jesus told the people not to cry. He took the girl by the hand and told her to get up. Have Jesus reach down, grab Jairus s daughter s hand, and help her up. Do you know what happened next? Mark 5:42 says, Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. Have Jairus s daughter do a little happy dance. Then thank your volunteers for their participation and have them take a seat. The leper, the sick woman, and Jairus all cried out to Jesus for help, and Jesus responded to their calls. Do you remember how Jesus responded to the three people who needed help? Invite children to respond. Emphasize that Jesus touched them, spoke to them, and took the time to care for them. When we call out to God, He responds and helps us. He may not always respond in the way that we think He will or exactly like we want Him to, but God does respond. God responds in the ways that are best for us because He loves us and cares about every part of our lives. Share a personal story of a time you called out to God for help. Discussion Questions What did Jesus do when the leper knelt before Him? Matthew 8:2 3 How did Jesus respond when the sick woman reached out and touched Him? Mark 5:30 34 Why do you think Jesus stopped to look for the woman after she touched Him? What happened at Jairus s house? Mark 5:38 43 In what ways were these people transformed by Jesus? Why does Jesus respond when we call out to Him? What are some times in your life when you called out to Jesus to help you? RESPOND// 15 min. Children reflect on what the Holy Spirit is teaching them and respond to God through creative activities and games. Touching Tie Blanket Students will work together to help meet a need in their community. Fleece (2 pieces, each at least 4' x 4') Fabric scissors 6
Ruler or yardstick PREPARE AHEAD Contact a local children s hospital, homeless shelter, or your church s missionaries to find out who might benefit most from a fleece blanket. You could also choose an individual or family in your church to bless with a blanket. To prepare to make the blanket, lay one piece of fleece on the floor, right side down, and smooth it out. Place the second piece of fleece on the first piece, right side up. Be sure to cut both pieces of fleece together along the edge. Cut a six-inch square out of each corner. Now cut fringe along the edge of the blanket, making the cuts approximately six inches into the fleece and two inches apart. If you need to move your blanket, you may want to tie the corners together to keep the pieces of fleece properly lined up. Share that the students have an opportunity to make a tie blanket to give away. The blanket will not only keep someone warm; it will be a reminder to her that God cares about her and that God responds when we call. As you work together as a group to tie the knots in the blanket, talk about who will receive this gift. When the blanket is finished, take time to pray over the blanket. Allow the kids to place their hands on the blanket at the end as you say a final prayer for God to meet the needs you aren t aware of in the person who gets the blanket. Developmentally Speaking Fifth and sixth graders want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. A service project like this appeals to that sense of purpose. (Optional) Hands-Off Race Lepers were set apart from society so they wouldn't share their sickness by touch. In this race, students will work through a course without touching anyone else. Tennis balls (1 for every 2 children) Masking or painter s tape SET UP Use the masking tape to mark out a racecourse on the floor in your room. It can be a simple straight line, or, for more of a challenge, make the course weave around the room. Leprosy was a very contagious skin condition, and in Jesus day, lepers weren t allowed to touch other people. Today we ll see how well you and a partner can work through a racecourse without touching anyone else. Divide up the kids into pairs, and give each pair a tennis ball. Try to pair up students with others of their same gender and height if possible. Show the kids the racecourse, and let them know they ll be racing together with their partners. Each pair will stand back-to-back and place the tennis ball in the middle of their backs, between their shoulder blades. Each pair should try to make it through the course without letting the ball drop and without touching anyone else. If the ball drops or they touch someone else, they have to start back at the beginning. 7
When the kids have made it through the course, discuss: What was the most difficult part of this race? What do you think it would be like to go the rest of your life without being able to touch anyone else? Why do you think Jesus touched the leper to heal him? BLESS// 5 min. Children receive a blessing from their leaders and sometimes one another. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Remember Verse cards (see Resources) HomeFront Weekly: Lesson 5 (see Resources) Recipe cards and Parent invitations (see Resources) Bible Whiteboard Dry erase marker SET UP Write the call-and-response below on the whiteboard. Encourage the students to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. Then open a Bible and read Psalm 17:6: I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. End with the following call-and-response. Have the kids read the first line and you read the blessing response: Children: When I am sad Leader: May you know God will comfort you. Children: When I am lost Leader: May you feel God leading you. Children: When I am happy Leader: May you rejoice as God rejoices with you. Children: When I pray Leader: May you respond in faith as God responds when you call. Send home Remember Verse cards, the HomeFront Weekly, and the Recipe cards and Parent invitations with your kids. Leader Tip Due to Easter, the next Remember & Celebrate lesson will occur in Lesson 3.5. Regular lessons will resume in Lesson 3.6. 8